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The Navy's fourth USS Colorado attack submarine has recently gone into service with an Xbox controller onboard. No, not so sailors can play Overwatch: they'll actually be using the gaming device to steer the vehicle's two photonics masts, which you can think of as high-tech replacements for typical periscopes. The masts don't require periscope tubes to work and rely on high-res cameras to capture images to display on a big screen instead. When the military first announced that it's using an Xbox controller on the Colorado, it said the device was replacing the joystick and control panel Lockheed Martin originally designed for the sensors.

Ring-shaped music controllers aren't anything new. IK Multimedia released the iRing back in 2014, and the Enhancia made its debut at CES this year. Now we've got the Wave, an adjustable MIDI controller ring that can adjust sounds and effects with gestures and taps. Genki Instruments has a working prototype of the device, and is looking to fund a final version on Indiegogo.

With the advent of more powerful software and controllers, modern DJs really don't need to learn as much about spinning tracks as they used to. Now beginners are treated to automated cues, loops and beat matching software that take some of the art out of DJing. The latest bit of automation comes from Pioneer and its $249 DDJ-SB3 DJ controller. The unit adds a Pad Scratch feature that gives aspiring club monsters the ability to imitate eight different scratch techniques that were recorded by DJ Jazzy Jeff. Whatever track you're playing, the scratch will automatically match up with the right tempo with a simple tap on a performance pad.

We've had a slew of third-party, Sony-approved PS4 controllers over the years, including the pint-sized Mini Wired Gamepad and the pro-focused Razer Raiju. While welcome, they've all been missing a crucial feature — wireless connectivity. That changes this week with the Onyx controller from Japanese accessory maker Hori (best known for its usually superb fighting sticks). Unlike Sony's pad, it sports asymmetrical sticks — like the Xbox One controller — a rounder shape and longer, curved bumpers. The Share and Options buttons are also below the touch pad, making them easier to reach (and not accidentally press) than on the DualShock 4.

Love the Nintendo Switch controllers but tired of only having them in gray? The company will broaden the Joy-Con color palette in the US market when it releases them in neon pink and neon green later this month. While these hues have been out in Europe and Japan for awhile, they were previously available in America only as part of a Walmart-exclusive Splatoon 2 console bundle that launched last summer.

The Nintendo Switch's controllers shouldn't work as well as they do. That might be why options beyond a Joy-Con in each hand (or the Switch's own Pro controller) are few and far between. 8Bitdo's latest wireless peripheral, the SN30 Pro, might be worth considering for your secondary controller needs. Beside that allure of nostalgia, the SN30 Pro particularly shines with older games and tries to balance a classic design with modern controls. I picked up the (obviously prettier) European / Japanese model, the otherwise identical SF30 Pro, and had a play.

Whether you're demo-ing a song for your band or recording a masterpiece to share on Soundcloud, you'll likely need a couple of things to connect to your computer. If you're planning on having any real instruments or vocals, you'll need some sort of audio interface to turn your analog sounds into digital ones. I have an M-Audio MobilePre USB for that task, which runs about $180 on Amazon. In addition, you probably want to have a MIDI controller, to "play" all those sounds you don't have real instruments for. These can typically cost $250-$500 or so, depending on features. At $300, IK Multimedia's iRig Keys I/O 49 comes in at the lower end of this bracket.

PlayStation's next step toward console-gaming domination is getting its gamepads in smaller hands. To do that, it has partnered with vaunted accessory-maker Hori on the Mini Wired Gamepad for the PlayStation 4. Sony says that the controller is 40 percent smaller than the standard DualShock 4, and, honestly, a bulk of that size difference probably came from lopping off the DS4's handles. Its 10-foot cables should be long enough to reach most couches, too.

Until robots take over video editing, you'll still have to fiddle with cuts, colors and sound levels. A keyboard is not always the best tool for that, and many control surfaces, like Loupedeck, are strictly targeted at Lightroom users. So what's a video editor to do? One of the more interesting controllers on the market is Palette Gear -- it's expandable, flexible, programmable and looks cool. As I discovered, if you're willing to spend some timing learning and programming, it can make you a faster and better editor, too.

British music company Roli introduced an affordable, innovative music-making gadget last year called Roli Blocks. It's a set of modular synth controllers that can snap together and connect via Bluetooth to your iOS device. Roli is now updating the iOS app, Noise, and updating its surface controller, the Lightpad M.

Original Xbox owners got a powerful yet eccentric machine in Microsoft's first stab at console gaming. The system itself was a massive VCR-sized slab of circuits and plastic, but it was the comically oversized controller that most baffled gamers. Yet fans look back fondly at the beastly peripheral, nicknamed "The Duke." Unbeknownst to most, one of its original designers has been secretly working to revive the controller for Xbox One and Windows 10 -- and Microsoft just gave it the green light.

This month's In Real Life focuses on self-improvement: taking your Spotify playlists to the gym minus your phone, getting some app-powered help on your savings and, er, being a better gamer on the Nintendo Switch.

IK Multimedia has years of experience making audio products and software for the mobile musician. From microphone preamps to audio mixers and MIDI interfaces (and more), the company seems dedicated to its niche. The music device manufacturer has just announced a brand new entry, the iRig Keys I/O: a compact, travel-ready MIDI controller with a built-in 24/96KHz audio interface. It comes in two compact models; you can pre-order the 25-key version for $200 and the 49-key configuration for $300 right now. The final release is set for October of this year.

Microsoft has been focused more on mixed reality lately than Hololens AR lately, unveiling VR motion controllers and helping Dell, Lenovo, Acer, HP and others with their MR headset launches in May. It's still on the job with Hololens, though, as Twitter user @h0x0d (WalkingCat) discovered a Microsoft patent for a wand-like interface for the headset. It looks like it could serve as a gaming gun or business pointing device, as it comes with a trigger, buttons and a finger shield.

If comfort reigns supreme on your gaming agenda, get ready to wrap your thumbs around Razer's latest controller for Xbox and PC, the Wolverine Ultimate. The officially-licensed controller has been designed for maximum customization and features interchangeable D-Pads, a range of interchangeable thumbsticks with varying heights and shapes, and six remappable triggers and buttons.

Microsoft used "Project Scorpio" as the code name for the Xbox One X, its powerful new gaming console set to release on November 7th. According to a couple of leaks on German website Xbox Dynasty, the company will celebrate the launch with a new day one-style model in which the codename will show up on the console itself. The images show a clear "Project Scorpio" embedded vertically on the Xbox controller, along with a stippled pattern for the rectangular console itself. The specs also show a 1TB capacity, which should make space-hungry gamers happy.

Like the idea of customizing a controller in the Xbox Design Lab, but wish you could add a little more flair or (gasp) practical features? You just got your wish. Microsoft has added a slew of new customization options, including four new main colors, 11 thumbstick colors, metallic finishes on D-pads and triggers, and (most importantly) rubberized grips. Personalized gamepads are still expensive at $80, but you might feel like that money is better spent after this.

If you've got a Nintendo Switch and an 8Bitdo gamepad lying around, there's good news: the two can now play together. 8Bitdo has released a firmware update that will let its entire controller family connect to Nintendo's hot new console. That includes the NES30 Pro, FC30 Pro, NES30, Zero and N64 controller, all styled in homage to classic Nintendo models.

Ever since gamers discovered that the Nintendo Switch's Pro Controller works with computers, there's been a lingering question: what about the Joy-Cons you get with the system itself? Yes, thankfully. Both Nintendo Actu and Sam Williams have verified that the peripherals work as Bluetooth controllers on Macs and Windows PCs so long as you use an app that binds buttons to mouse and keyboard controls. They should work with Android, too, although Nintendo Actu warns that it saw serious lag -- your experience may vary depending on the mobile device you're using.

While there was no shortage of new Samsung hardware the company's MWC showcase, the event also included a new Gear VR headset on display, along with a new controller. Adding motion input (as well as a few more buttons) lets you navigate and interact with VR content without having to paw at the headset's buttons like with previous iterations. In addition to a clickable touchpad, there are trigger, home, back and volume keys. The controller also has an accelerometer, gyrometer and magnetic sensors built in. The new hardware will work with the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and Note 5, as well as the Galaxy S6 series.

Now that Google's Daydream View is giving Gear VR a run for its money, how is Samsung going to respond? By implementing one of Daydream's best features, of course. Both an FCC filing and an apparent scoop from Roland Quandt indicate that this year's Gear VR will include a one-handed controller -- no more reaching for a touchpad on the headset itself. That's a big deal for games and any other apps that involve more than rudimentary controls.

Roli's set of modular music gadgets have been around since November, but today the company announced an update that will come in handy for those who use desktop music production apps. The new Dashboard for Roli Blocks allows you to employ the LED touch-sensitive pad to control software like Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, Cubase, Native Instruments Massive and a bunch more. With the Lightpad Block and Dashboard, you can upload pre-programmed scripts and edit as needed.

It was evident from the get-go that the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con controllers weren't just your ordinary gamepads. However, the console's launch event has revealed that they do much, much more than detach and offer local two-player play. The left-side Joy-Con has a sharing button, for starters -- you can take screenshots to show off memorable moments. The Switch won't share video right away (one area in which the PS4 and Xbox One have an edge), but Nintendo is promising that it's in the works.

Choosing which color controller you want to saddle your second, third and fourth players with was a time-honored tradition until Microsoft launched the Xbox Design Lab last June, which theoretically allows for 8 million combinations. For those paralyzed by choice or who don't care to shell out the extra $10-$20 to build their own, the company has released two more color options in the Xbox One's already-extensive first-party controller list. Which is great if you prefer your gamepads sharing hues with stage blood or army green.

Sure, the Xbox One Elite gamepad is tailored to however you want to use it. But if you'd rather have a controller that wasn't the standard black and grey, you'd have to opt for the hideous Gears of War 4edition's stylings. Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Over a year later, Microsoft and Scuf (hardware partner and purveyors of pro-level gamepads) are offering the controllers in a bevy of colors and patterns.